Sticky steering advice

[Loonzter]

I had a similar problem on my 2003 Suzuki 140. The steering arm was rusted and flaking right to the top where the steering connects. When disconnected from steering, I could hardly move the motor. I assumed the arm was rusted and expanded in the pivot tube bearing. I tried heating it and pumping grease with no improvement. I drilled into tube and added a grease fitting near the top. Still not much improvement. I realized the problem was right at the top of that pivot bearing. During the season after every trip when boat was on trailer iI left the engine slightly tilted up and sprayed corrosion block into that area forming a puddle at the top. Over the winter I made sure there was oil there. This spring I worked it back and forth and started to see improvement. Now I am able to move the engine back and forth easily when disconnected. I still spray corrosion block into that area after every trip at a slight upward tilt.
Hope this helps.
[/QUOThanksanks

I had a similar problem on my 2003 Suzuki 140. The steering arm was rusted and flaking right to the top where the steering connects. When disconnected from steering, I could hardly move the motor. I assumed the arm was rusted and expanded in the pivot tube bearing. I tried heating it and pumping grease with no improvement. I drilled into tube and added a grease fitting near the top. Still not much improvement. I realized the problem was right at the top of that pivot bearing. During the season after every trip when boat was on trailer iI left the engine slightly tilted up and sprayed corrosion block into that area forming a puddle at the top. Over the winter I made sure there was oil there. This spring I worked it back and forth and started to see improvement. Now I am able to move the engine back and forth easily when disconnected. I still spray corrosion block into that area after every trip at a slight upward tilt.
Hope this helps.

Thanks Bobfish, just to clarify when you say you sprayed corrosion block into that area, do you mean the grease fitting you placed into the top of the pivot tube? On my Mercury Optimax the engine bracket at the very top of the pivot tube is also flaking rust. I'm assuming the upper nylon bushing sits just inside the tube at that point. I have a grease fitting up high but not that high. I did my best to pack grease around that area but there's not much room to get to it, even with the motor tilted all the way up my fingers can't reach all the way around. There's no place to leave a puddle of anything on top of the pivot tube on my engine. I'll try the corrosion block throughout the season, I'm assuming I can put some in a spray bottle and just keep saturating the area. Keeping my fingers crossed that with lubrication before and after each trip it may loosen up a bit more.

 

[pequa1]

can the two of you post pix ?

 

[Loonzter]

I don't have a smart phone but I'll see if there's something I can do. Ordered a spray can of Corrosion Block from Amazon this morning. Probably won't see it till the end of May but thats OK, with the fishing reports I'm seeing I probably won't be using the boat much till then anyway. I can see if I just spray the joint constantly some will eventually soak in.

 

[Bobfish]

It might be hard to see but my engine does have a raised metal area that forms a nice dam to hold the oil when the engine is slightly tilted up.

 

[Bobfish]

 

[Loonzter]

Trying to get tech -phisticated, 1st attempt a photo attachment. Anyway, time to begin the lubrication process. I'll see if I can get a decent shot of the top of the pivot tube.